The mayor of Bucharest, Nicuşor Dan, a founder of Union Save Romania (USR) but no longer part of the reformist party, announced on December 16 his intention to run in the 2025 presidential elections as an independent, adding that he is open to discussions with Romania’s democratic parties as well.

Romania annulled the presidential elections on December 6, two days before the second round, after pro-Russian candidate Calin Georgescu won the first round.

Authorities implied interference of “state and non state entities” in the electoral process, but they did not come up with further details. Massive illegal electoral campaigns in social media, particularly involving the TikTok network, are being investigated and the European Union has taken steps in this regard.

The Social Democratic Party (PSD), National Liberal Party (PNL), USR and Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) announced their “firm commitment” to form a “pro-European” government on December 10.

The parties are currently in talks to form a coalition aimed at addressing the rising threat of nationalist parties the Alliance of United Romanians (AUR), SOS Romania and the Party of Young People (POT). 

Dan said he is aware that the four parties have a joint presidential candidate on their agenda.

USR is keeping party president Elena Lasconi, who made it to the second round of the annulled presidential elections, as its candidate in the repeated elections next year. 

Despite this, Dan’s name has been circulated recently as a possible candidate of the democratic parties, which seek to join forces amid rising power of nationalist and far-right parties, some of them of pro-Russian orientation.

Electoral support for nationalist and far-right parties is growing amid public disappointment with the performance of the former ruling PSD-PNL coalition.

The outcome of the talks is uncertain, though, and USR is highly likely to remain out of the coalition – which would result in the collapse of the plan to put forward a joint presidential candidate.